The two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers are remaining defiant after their blockbuster acquisition of ace pitcher Tarik Skubal, while several other large-market clubs began sell-offs that defined this year’s MLB trade deadline.
The Dodgers further solidified their league-leading odds to win a third straight championship after landing Skubal, winner of the last two American League Cy Young Awards, in a trade with Detroit for three prospects. Club leaders, however, were unapologetic about the trade, as they acknowledged the Skubal move is bringing more criticism their way as MLB’s largest spender.
The Dodgers are also a central topic in ongoing labor talks between the league and MLB Players Association.
“It just seems like there’s always blowback with us,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after his club was surprisingly swept at home by the Red Sox this past weekend. “People are passionate. We feel good about it. There’s nothing that we did that no one else couldn’t have done.”
To Roberts’ point, the Dodgers only had to surrender a former third-round draft pick from 2023, and two former 11th round selections—none of whom are currently among MLB’s top 20 prospects—to land one of the premier starting pitchers in the sport. That relatively low price was driven by the fact that Skubal will be a free agent after the season, making him a short-term rental.
